A 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Friday struck off the Philippines' eastern coast, killing at least one and forcing thousands to flee their homes amid a tsunami warning, dpa reported. Roads and buildings cracked, while power lines were disrupted in dozens of cities and towns in the eastern and southern Philippines, where the quake was felt, according to local officials. In Cagayan de Oro City, where the tremor was felt at intensity 4, one person died and another was injured in a flash flood triggered by the quake, said Mayor Vicente Emano. The quake's epicentre was located 112 kilometres east of Guiuan town in Eastern Samar province, at a depth of 10 kilometres, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. The US Geological Survey initially measured the magnitude of the quake, which struck at 1247 GMT, to be 7.9 but later lowered it to 7.6. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a tsunami warning for Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It later lifted the warning for Japan and Taiwan. Local authorities in six provinces on the Philippines' eastern coast immediately sent rescue teams to evacuate residents living near the shore. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it was expecting waves of up to 2 metres to be generated by the earthquake. -- SPA
